Dynamic voltage scaling, or “DVS,” is a power management technique used in electronic systems. DVS refers to varying the voltage provided to one or more components of an electronic system. The voltage may be varied in real time during operation of the electronic system according to various circumstances. As an example, the voltage provided to a component such as a central processing unit of an electronic system may be increased or decreased in real time during operation of the electronic system. Decreasing the voltage provided to a component may be performed to reduce power consumption of the electronic system or to conserve power.
A variety of techniques may be used to control DVS operations in electronic systems. In some cases, look-up tables are used to store pre-characterized voltages that guarantee either correct operation of the electronic system or operation with an acceptable error rate. In other cases, a “canary” circuit is implemented within the electronic system and monitored for errors. A canary circuit generally refers to a class of circuit used to indicate an imminent error or failure. When applied to an integrated circuit (IC), the noted DVS control techniques may be particularly susceptible to process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations across the IC. Accordingly, the design of an electronic system typically includes sufficient margin to maintain acceptable operation of the electronic system in even a worst case combination of PVT variation.